Top 10 Highest Paid Baseball Players

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By Bill Brown

It’s no secret that professional sports is a lucrative industry, and the MLB is no exception. Professional baseball players give everything into becoming the best that they can be in order to provide us with top-tier entertainment and to bring glory to their fans.

The efforts and sacrifices that they make might be taken for granted, but there’s a reason while professional athletes are so well-paid. The feats that they accomplish are something that only few people can even dream of.

In 2020, the average salary for MLB players was 4.43 million dollars. That alone is already a big amount, but there are players who make way more than that. These players have earned their salaries through excelling and proving their worth every time they step on the field. By being a cut above the rest, teams have had to bid high to enlist their services.

These are the 10 highest-paid players in baseball today.

10. Zack Greinke: $32.9 million

Greinke is an established veteran who possesses masterful pitching that few players can match. The six-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove awardee, and two-time Silver Slugger awardee originally signed a six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but was eventually traded to the Houston Astros.

With the Astros, Greinke has shown that he still has a lot left in his tank and has been a vital piece for a Houston team that will miss the services of the next player in this list.

9. Justin Verlander: $33 million

The other half of Houston’s sublime pitching tandem, Verlander earned himself a payday when he signed a record-breaking $66 million two-year extension with the Astros in 2019. The eight-time All-Star and former AL MVP was instrumental in the Astros’ 2017 World Series victory.

Unfortunately, Verlander is currently sidelined and is expected to miss the 2021 season as he recovers from surgery.

8. Manny Machado: $34 million

Manny Machado made history when he signed an incredible 10-year, $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres in 2019, which was at the time the largest contract for a free agent in the history of American sports.

The 28-year-old Machado is a four-time All-Star who made the All-MLB First Team in 2020 and has won the Gold Glove Award twice and Silver Slugger Award once in his already impressive career. In 2020, he was third in the voting for NL MVP, but with many years left in his contract, there’s plenty of room to collect accolades for himself and the Padres.

7. Max Scherzer: $34.5 million

Scherzer signed a 7-year, $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals in 2015. His lucrative deal turned out to pay off well for both sides as Scherzer was instrumental in the Nats’ run for the 2019 World Series Championship.

The veteran pitcher is a seven-time All-Star who has won the Cy Young award thrice in his career and has led the NL in strikeouts three times.

5-T. Stephen Strasburg: $35 million

Strasburg is another key piece in the 2019 World Series Championship of the Nationals, winning World Series MVP and capitalizing on an illustrious postseason for a tremendous payday.

The three-time All-Star and 2012 Silver Slugger Award earned himself a 7-year, $245 million contract with the Nats in 2019.

5-T. Nolan Arenado: $35 million

The Colorado Rockies initially signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million contract extension in 2019. Just this year, he was included in a blockbuster trade and was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for a bevy of assets.

Arenado’s immense skillset has earned him a host of accolades throughout his career, which includes eight Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Slugger Awards, and four Platinum Glove Awards.

3-T. Jacob deGrom: $36 million

The 32-year-old deGrom looks to make his case for the best pitcher in baseball with his exceptional play. The Mets rightfully signed him to a five-year extension worth $137.5 million to retain his services.

deGrom is a two-time Cy Young Awardee and has made the All-MLB First Team twice. He has likewise led the MLB in ERA in 2018 and in strikeouts in consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2020.

3-T. Gerrit Cole: $36 million

Gerrit Cole had an impressive run with the Astros from 2018 to 2019, making the All MLB First-Team and leading the MLB in strikeouts as well as the AL in ERA in 2019.

With his outstanding performance, Cole earned a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees, which is the largest deal signed by a pitcher in the history of the sport.

2. Mike Trout: $37.1 million

Mike Trout has posted an awe-inspiring career with his run with the Los Angeles Angels so far, which makes it right for the Angels to sign him to a 12-year, $426.5 million deal. This is the first, and remains the only, $400 million contract in the history of baseball.

Trout has been named AL MVP three times, and has won the Silver Slugger Award eight times in his career, among numerous other accolades. 

1. Trevor Bauer: $40 million

Bauer submitted the best season of his career at the perfect time. In 2020, he led the NL in ERA on his way to the Cy Young Award and the All-MLB First Team.

For his efforts, he became the most sought-after free agent pitcher and was rewarded with a three-year, $102 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.